Has there ever been a
more brazen display of a foreign government dragging a more powerful
nation into a war not of its own choosing? I’m talking about
the almost comical efforts by the Israelis to goad Washington into
attacking Iran: the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
“Bibi”
Netanyahu has done everything and then some to put pressure on the
Obama administration to act. The latest display of overt manipulation
was recently featured
on Israeli television:

“Israel’s
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘is determined to attack
Iran before the US elections,’ Israel’s Channel 10 News
claimed on Monday night, and Israel is now ‘closer than ever’
to a strike designed to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive…
The report added that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak
believe Obama would have no choice but to give backing for an
Israeli attack before the US presidential elections in November.”

Imagine, for a moment,
Another Obama, one who exists in an alternate universe where
American Presidents don’t kowtow to the demands of pipsqueak
nations with delusions of grandeur — especially those whose
security and prosperity are entirely dependent on our generosity.
This Obama would answer these blackmailers with an unequivocal
statement that the Israelis are on their own if and when they
attack: that the US will not lift a finger to help them — no,
not even if Israel itself comes under attack, as it will.

This imaginary Obama,
of course, does not exist, and has no chance of existing, not even
for a moment. This President will continue to subordinate American
interests in order to placate the powerful Israel lobby because
there are influential elements within his own party — his
Secretary of State, for one — who are with Netanyahu.

By launching their
public relations offensive at the start of the American campaign
season, the Israelis think they have this President over a barrel. A
new war in the Middle East would split the Democrats in the midst of
an election, and give the Republicans an opening on the foreign
policy front. Yet perhaps there is one factor they haven’t
taken into account: they are depending on their American fifth
column to make war with Iran not only palatable but popular. This,
it seems to me, is highlyproblematic.

War with Iran —
or anybody else, for that matter — is highly unpopular,
at least outside the sacred precincts of Capitol Hill. The American
people are in no mood for another war, least of all one in that
familiar theater of horrors known as the Middle East. It would take
another Pearl Harbor, or another 9/11, to provoke them into
supporting a fresh rampage in the region — or perhaps another
Gulf of Tonkin incident will do.

The War Party has
already tried to pull that one off, you’ll recall —
remember Mansour Arbabsiar, the alcoholic used car salesman they
told us was part of an elaborate Iranian plot to bomb a popular
Washington DC eatery and assassinate the Saudi ambassador? There’s
another “terrorist” whose alleged “capture”
provoked headlines, and then sank into near total obscurity. It
turns out Arbabsiar is certifiably
nuts — as anyone who did a minimal
amount of research into his background could’ve told you. His
much-anticipated trial seems to have been postponed until January,
while court psychiatrists try to determine if his ravings are
evidence of his own personal madness or proof of a plot to start
World War III.

Washington and New
York have already
declared war on Iran: they just haven’t told
the rest of the country about it yet. All in good time, my friend,
all in good time — and not much time, if Netanyahu and Barak
have anything to say about it, which apparently they do.

What about you and I,
mere Americans, and other concerned people around the world —
what do we have to say about it?

The legendary power of
the Israel lobby is often overstated. There’s no doubt they’ve
been successful, but that success is limited. Their Achilles heel is
their efforts are aimed at the country’s elites — the
political class and its journalistic and corporate cousins. Ask any
ordinary American if we ought to fight Netanyahu’s war, and
the response is bound to be overwhelmingly in the negative.

If it really comes
down to the Israelis openly pushing us into a war the American
people oppose, then this really underscores the cynicism and
opportunism of Netanyahu and his government — who will no
doubt characterize widespread opposition to the war as evidence of
“anti-Semitism” on the rise. All the more reason for the
world’s Jews to make aliyah.

In this tragic-comic
opera, “Netanyahu’s War,” the characters live out
their destinies according to a script written by some third-rate
Hollywood producer of low-budget thrillers, albeit one with a
passing acquaintance with history. In these productions, the clock
is always ticking down to zero-hour while swarthy-skinned Terrorists
plot to blow up the world — or, in this case, re-enact the
Holocaust. All that stands between Ahmadinejad the Madman and
the nuking of Israel is the Churchillian Netanyahu, who, like the
original, is counting on his American allies to enter the war and
save the day.

That’s the
narrative we’re about to be sold — but will the American
people buy it? Is it really 1939
all over again — or is the much-touted
“existential
threat” we hear
so much
about being wielded not by Iran but by Israel — which actually
does possess nuclear weapons, and, in my view, is perfectly capable
of using them.

The Israel lobby and
its allies in both parties are confident they won’t have to
answer to the American people: they think they just have to win over
the elites, the people who “matter,” and the rest of us
ignorant, superficial, economically-stressed out Americans will just
go along with the program, too distracted and self-centered to utter
a peep of protest.

This is a dangerous
assumption to make, but then again I’m not in the business of
advising the War Party how best to finagle us into yet another
Middle Eastern crusade. I would just point out for the record that
the backlash is bound to be a lot fiercer than anybody expected. To
this I attribute the economic shock
likely to accompany the war — a condition that rather than
distract from the war issue is likely to give it a lot more impetus.

Speaking of impetus:
we sure could use a lot more impetus in our late-summer fundraising
campaign, which is seriously lagging. I realize a lot of people —
lucky, lucky people — are on vacation, laying on a
beach somewhere. For them, rumors of war blend in with the sound of
the waves hitting the shore, a faint murmuring … but you
can’t live on the beach forever. The war that’s looming
on our horizon will blot out the sun and do a great deal of damage —
to our economy, to our standing in the world, to our democratic
institutions. Vacation? In the aftermath of the Great Middle Eastern
War, those with jobs will be too afraid to take time off — for
fear they’ll be back on the unemployment line.

We don’t have to
fight Netanyahu’s war, and if enough Americans discover it is
indeed his war, and not ours, perhaps we can stop it before
it starts. That’s our current mission, here at Antiwar.com:
but we can’t carry it out without your support — your
financial support. We need your help and we need it now. This
fundraiser has been up and down and all over the place, and now
we’re down to the nitty-gritty: we have a chance to double our
money and conceivably make our fundraising goal. For every dollar
you send, we have donors who will match it — so please, now
is the time you can really make an impact. Your contribution
matters, regardless of the amount, because it is your way of voting
for peace — a way for you to cast a truly meaningful ballot.

Great article, Justin. How can people just lie on a beach when a nuclear war is looming. It sure beats me.

It's time for all American citizens to stand up to their Government, demand all the troops come home. To hell with the political and military psychos who get their kicks from killing people in other lands.

Israel has had nukes for DECADES and never used them once — not even in 1973, when they were brought to the brink of destruction.

Iran has shown itself to be "perfectly capable" of helping its Syrian ally slaughter EIGHTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE since the uprising began. Since Iran desperately needs its client Assad if it's going to be a regional hegemon, who knows how many innocents they'll murder in the name of maintaining their alliance. And yet — it's Israel that, in your view, is capable of inflicting a holocaust?

There's a holocaust underway in Syria RIGHT NOW, Mr. Raimondo, yet you dwell on the possibility that Israel might inflict an imaginary one. How many innocents do Assad and his Iranian collaborators have to slaughter before you condemn the regime that's actually guilty of carrying out a holocaust right before your eyes?

Israel has had nukes for DECADES and never used them once — not even in 1973, when they were brought to the brink of destruction.

Iran has shown itself to be "perfectly capable" of helping its Syrian ally slaughter EIGHTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE since the uprising began. Since Iran desperately needs its client Assad if it's going to be a regional hegemon, who knows how many innocents they'll murder in the name of maintaining their alliance. And yet — it's Israel that, in your view, is capable of inflicting a holocaust?

There's a holocaust underway in Syria RIGHT NOW, Mr. Raimondo, yet you dwell on the possibility that Israel might inflict an imaginary one. How many innocents do Assad and his Iranian collaborators have to slaughter before you condemn the regime that's actually guilty of carrying out a holocaust right before your eyes?

Israel has had nukes for DECADES and never used them once — not even in 1973, when they were brought to the brink of destruction.

Iran has shown itself to be "perfectly capable" of helping its Syrian ally slaughter EIGHTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE since the uprising began. Since Iran desperately needs its client Assad if it's going to be a regional hegemon, who knows how many innocents they'll murder in the name of maintaining their alliance. And yet — it's Israel that, in your view, is capable of inflicting a holocaust?

There's a holocaust underway in Syria RIGHT NOW, Mr. Raimondo, yet you dwell on the possibility that Israel might inflict an imaginary one. How many innocents do Assad and his Iranian collaborators have to slaughter before you condemn the regime that's actually guilty of carrying out a holocaust right before your eyes?

I think, from his actions, a case could be made that Netanyahu is a mad man with serious mental disabilities. This is another case of a short fat man with a bad comb over suffering from a need to exert power over others. He must be stopped from throwing the world into a cataclysmic depression because of skyrocketing oil prices.

What do you want to bet that neocons like Richard Perle will make a ton off of oil futures?

The polling in this election is essentially even between Romney and Obama. Both poll in the mid 40's. In order to get over the top, the winner is going to have to push a more peaceful foreign policy. The first man to stand up for peace will win this election. But Bibbi is coming to town to get his rear end kissed by both candidates. Doing that is a turnoff to the undecideds. The people are sick of war and warmongers. Give them what they want.

Mark,
You have that right – the Christian Zionists (about 40 million of them in this country) have been convinced by guys like John Hagee that they are supporting the Almighty himself when they support that smarmy little Netanyahou. The "Zionization" of these people is pretty thorough. I remember last Fall being in the little Alabama town of Enterprise and seeing this fundamentalist church advertising on its outdoor bulletin board, "All welcome to our celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles (Succoth). Oh Yea! they will get behind a nuclear attack upon Iran.

A brief look at history will prove that to be the case.
In 1948 the Israeli's routed all the Arab forces and declared a new country on 78% Palestine
In 1967 the Israeli's destroyed 3 arab armies in six days and expanded into the remaining 22%, the Golan Heights and Sinai.
Those two wars set the tone for military conflict between the Arabs and Israelis where Israel has an insurmountable advantage in equipment, training and motivation against it's opponents.
In 1973 The Egyptians put a small dent in image of Israeli invincibility and gained back Sinai.
The military tone began to change.
In 1979 The Iranian Revolution happened and was mired in a war with Iraq
In 1982 Israel invaded the weakest arab nation, Lebanon, with ease. But faced ongoing resistance.
In 1985 Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon to areas near the border.
In 1988 The Iran Iraq war ended and Iran was able to dedicate more resources to help fight Israel
In 1980s 1990s Lebanese resistance become more sophisticated and lethal with Iranian help
In 2000 Israel withdrew from Lebanon completely
In 1990s 2000s Palestinian resistance become more sophisticated and lethal with Iranian help
In 2005 Israel withdrew from Gaza
In 2006 Israel tried to destroy Hezbollah and re-occupy Lebanese territory but failed
In 2008 Israel pounded gaza but failed to change anything on the ground (Hamas stayed, rockets stayed)

The trend here has changed since the early days when Israel could easily defeat Arab armies and occupy Arab lands to one where Israel now is incapably of threatening Lebanon or Gaza with a straight face. Israel is still capable of inflicting heavy losses on civilians but cannot change anything on the ground any more. Mostly due to Iranian help.

Bibi has to be asking himself today: In the seventies we were not able to force the strongest Arab army (Egypt) from giving up Sinai. In the eighties were were not able to keep territory from the weakest Arab country (Lebanon). In 2006 Hezbollah fought to us to a stalemate and since then has become more confident. The difference in those 30 years must be very worrying to Bibi. Mostly due to Iranian influence. Iran itself has become much more powerful.
The question is: Where will Israel be after another 30 years?

The answer is not pretty. Unless Iran was destroyed today. Fighting Iran today will be costly and painful, but waiting another 30 years and if the trend continues will mean any future conflict will see the end of Israel.

I do believe any war will become an existential threat to Israel in the future. Bibi has a choice to make peace with the Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, and accept the Arab peace initiative. Or wage war against Iran and set back the Arab fighting capability another 30+ years.

I don't think peace crosses Bibi's mind as a real option. That leaves war, and as quickly as possible.

Yes, you're correct to point out that Russians are helping to prop up Assad. For that matter, the Chinese are too, thanks to the stance they've taken at the UN. But the coordination between Assad and Iran is more long-standing and much more extensive because it's ideologically twinned. Iran is in perfect alliance with Syria in the effort to maintain its proxy militia Hezbollah. It's not Russia that's responsible for the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah shiite anti-Israel axis (add the sunni Hamas to that axis as well).

One of the main reasons I focus on Iran in this discussion, rather than Russia, is that Raimondo's near-daily emphasis is on discouraging an Israel-backed war on IRAN, not on Russia. Two days ago, Raimondo hysterically accused Israel of contemplating a "holocaust" on Iranians in his last column, and now he claims (again without basis in fact) that Israel is "perfectly capable" of using its nukes in its conflict with Iran. Israel-versus-Iran is Raimondo's focus; it's logical that I would counter his arguments by reminding him that it's IRAN which has its hands full of Syrian blood right now, because it highlights the hypocrisy of calling Israeli leaders "radicals", as Raimondo did in his last column.

Clearly, Iran's leaders are proving themselves the true radicals in the region, in word and deed. It's surprising that nobody here is prepared to criticize the Iranian regime for anything, including its role in helping slaughter 18,000 Syrians, a death toll which is sure to rise. If Israel was the one murdering thousands of Syrians, I suspect some folks here might actually bother to mention their plight and condemn the murderers. This is what's known as a "double standard."

I mention that Israel has possessed unused nukes not so you will "admire them", but because it counter's Raimondo's claim. History proves quite definitively that they can restrain themselves. Their non-use of nukes is what's known as a "fact". Raimondo's claim that Israel is likely to use them is what's known as "speculation". I'm using FACT to counter SPECULATION. That won't be enough to persuade someone full of irrational hatred, unfortunately. Such people are not amenable to reason. But it's still a counterargument worth making, if for no other reason than it highlights the intellectual bankruptcy of the haters.

And how do you know I don't care about the Syrians? You don't know anything about me personally, who my friends are, etc. And what did I say that was "vile"? Is that really the best way to counter my point that Iranians are participating in a holocaust — to shoot the messenger?

You don't know me, yet you're making this personal. What you know is that I've said a few things in defense of Israel and made arguments critical of its enemies. Apparently, that's enough for me to be dehumanized to the extent that I'm a "vile, cynical hypocrite" and that I couldn't possibly care if 18,000 people are murdered. Your premise, then, is that anybody who merely wants a place called Israel to survive is an inhuman, unfeeling monster. That's a completely hysterical premise based on irrational prejudice.

It's funny how I'm the only one mentioning the 18,000 murdered Syrians, but I'm the one who doesn't care. I didn't notice you or Raimondo mention them, so should I conclude that you guys couldn't care less about them and who's responsible for murdering them? Do you support the Iranian regime, even though they've helped kill innocents in Syria? Just wondering.

let's not forget cheney's plan of dressing up navy seals like iranians and have them do a false flag in the persian gulf as a pretext for war. which oddly enough sounds like 9-11..false flag. i urge all to be very alert and very suspicious of any and all new "terror" events. do not swallow another fairy tale narrative like the fable of 9-11.

as for america's stomach for more war, i'd like to think we've had enough but go look at the comment field at the bottom of that sourced article. not only is it that we haven't had enough, so many DEMAND more war. you'd think the iranians already took over the entire region and were circling their forces around israel as we speak. more than a couple advocate just nuking the entire country outright. american ignorance is also glaring with many calling iranians arabs and decrying them all as insane. meanwhile we clamor for our own economic destruction while we destroy our republic at the behest of some useless rock a bunch of zionist stole 70 years ago. yeah, america and americans have it together.

yeh, ask yourself why to the last line. bibi is an insane maniac who's more than happy to destroy both iran and israel with his madness. if anyone thinks israel can survive a regional conflict which they themselves will start is beyond deluded. here's a concept, why can't israel try to make peace with it's neighbors? bottom line is 6 million zionists can not and will not win any long term conflict with over 100 million arabs. make peace or be destroyed, that is the israeli option.

iranians are participating in a holocaust? like the one in gaza? if you're so concerned about syria, get yourself a gun and by all means get over there. the facts are the "rebels" are foreign backed fighters trying to over throw assad. there is no nascent movement, just a bunch of insane jihadis backed the cia and british intelligence trying to murder assad. just like they did ghaffafi in libya. your humanitarianism is just awesome. let's go murder people so they stop murdering people.

The next time Ahmadinejad or Khameini or Nasrallah or Assad or some Iranian military leader threatens Israel with total annihilation, as they seem to do every other day, remember your claim about Bibi being "the most dangerous man in the world". Remember your claim when the death toll in Syria surpasses 20 thousand, then 30 thousand, and so on.

The policy you're advocating is called "decapitation" by military types, and it's precisely what's being considered with respect to Iran's leaders.

The Syrian affair is Neo-con (ie American Likudnik fifth column) instigated subversion. Every one of the deaths in Syria are the responsibility of Israel and its stooges — the US, and it's NATO, UN, and GCC sub-stooges.

You're very skilled in the use of inflammatory, intentionally deceitful language. Trotting out "holocaust" is so overtly manipulative such obvious baloney… but it does reveal your identity as a Zionist drone.

The Syrian affair is Neo-con (ie American Likudnik fifth column) instigated subversion. Every one of the deaths in Syria are the responsibility of Israel and its stooges — the US, and it's NATO, UN, and GCC sub-stooges.

You're very skilled in the use of inflammatory, intentionally deceitful language. Trotting out "holocaust" is so overtly manipulative and such obvious baloney… but it does reveal your identity as a Zionist drone.

Iran's support for its ally Syria is as perfectly reasonable, as the US/Israeli subversion of that country is unreasonable.

Israel is a geopolitical crime-in-progress. Opposing crime and arresting criminals is called justice. The "destruction of Israel", which is to say the termination of Zionist criminality and the restoration of justice, is right and reasonable and the foundation of civilized behavior.

Iran's support for its ally Syria is as perfectly reasonable as the US/Israeli subversion of that country is unreasonable.

How unreasonable? Consider. The attack on Syria is not even about Syria, but rather about Iran. So on behalf of Israel, for the sake of weakening Iran, the West enthusiastically condemns thousands of Syrians to death, and the destruction of the stability and peace of the entire Syrian nation.

Reminds me of the sanctions on Iraq, and Madame Albright's statement that the failed attempt to bring down Saddam — again, on behalf of Israel — was worth half-a-million dead Iraqi children. All hail American — or should I say Zionist — exceptionalism. This, Hasbara boy, is your peace-loving and pious Israel.

Once again Zionism brings death to the innocent people of the Mideast.

Israel is a geopolitical crime-in-progress. Opposing crime and arresting criminals is called justice. The "destruction of Israel", which is to say the termination of Zionist criminality and the restoration of justice, is right and reasonable and the foundation of civilized behavior.

And regarding the screeching nonsense about "They want to kill us all. They want to drive us into the sea!!" … Hysteria aside, that's up to you Zionist and Hasbarist criminals. If you won't stop your criminal behavior and refuse to "be taken alive", then your suicidal fate is on your own head. The holocaust you suffer will be of your own making. Own it.

So when next you hear about Israel's "right to exist", consider: what crime has a "right to exist"?, what criminal enterprise has a "right to exist"? Add to that: what criminal has a "right to self-defense"? What criminal has the right to commit violence in the furtherance of a crime? What criminal has the right to fight back against the lawful authority that arrives to halt the crime and arrest the criminals?

Israel, the Zionists, their enablers, and their supporters are criminals: thieves and murderers on a global scale. They have no "right to exist" (as criminals) and they have no "right to self-defense" as they commit their crimes.

But they do have rights. They have the right to surrender to a competent authority and not suffer summary execution. The right to a fair trial. If found guilty, the right to a proportionate penalty. And once the offending parties have "done their time", the right to rejoin society and resume a peaceful, cooperative existence.

The people here on this site either writing columns or leaving comments didn't create the problems we're just discussing it, and most just wish it would stop. Iran doesn't have sanctions on America or Israel, so who is warring with whom? They'll do whatever they want regardless of whatever any of us think. Just my opinion.

" Sophistry" is as good a term as any for (Mr?) Dissenter's efforts – sophistry being the clever use of purposefully deceitful arguments intended not to clarify anything but only to "throw more shit into the game", as they say in certain circles.
It is ridiculous of Dissenter to try to exclaim Israel's innocence in regards to the use of of excessive force. I mean, how does (he?) expect us to disregard Israel's carpet bombing of Lebanese civilians with cluster bombs, dumping of burning white phosphorus upon Palestinian civilians, or the IDF's evil game of "suckering" Palestinian youth into throwing rocks so that the IDF can shoot these boys in cold blood. Or how about the "settlers" putting together long pipes so that they can dump the offal from their "settlement" onto Palestinian land so that the Palestinian kids can play in it. This are the true actions of Israel, not the verbal baloney, we get from Israel's apologists.
Again, in certain circles, the retort would be, "Blow it out your duffle bag, Dissenter.

I don't think OhBama has the Balls to be responsible for starting WW3 or even ww3.
And Israel's stand is just too comical.
We're going to Attack Iran, Our Planes Fueled up, We're putting them on runway, the pilot is turning the Ignition Key, we have to put them back in hanger he forgot to add the Bombs, now we are really ready to go now. Mr Ohbama, your definitely going to go first right…..because if you don't we will. On the count of three then, ready. And a One and a Two and damn we lost the launch codes we'll have to go back.

saying belicose ridiculous threats doesn't mean they'll happen, or that they aren't contrived statements designed to create a reaction. iran is a cornered barking dog, frightened out it's wits as it has been completely encircled with hostile enemies in the last 10 years. compounding this is bibi the lunatic screaming that iran, a sovereign nation state does not have the right to develop nuclear power. who is bibi to say this? ironically it is iran who has signed and agreed to all iaea protocols, however israel (surprise surprise) has not. iran has made no offensive attacks on anyone in 200 years. israel certainly can't say the same thing. it is israel who daily threatens iran with nuking and pre-emptive nuclear attack. who's kidding who here? finally, iran's proclamations use the term "zionist(s)", not jew. they leaders of iran hope the zionist menace is soon wiped from the earth, and so do i.

funny, you do exactly the same thing you accuse dissenter of. Who you trying to kid? 20000 killed in syria so far, with Iran's bloody hands at the trigger. Screw You Jack. You think you have some moral high ground because you spit on Israeli actions and look the other way when muslim arabs slaughter each other, a typical sentiment on this site. No offal pipes in Syria, just bullets and bombs. Your acutely and uniquely offended sensibilities at Israel's actions have blinded you (willfully?) to the reality of the surrounding region. Evil IDF. Bad Jew. Bad Israeli. Like there are no other causes of the problems in the Middle East. The Palestinians and other Arabs have NO hand in their continued harsh existence. Spread the bull elsewhere. And no, Israel won't use nukes, and yes the Iranians , given the opportunity, would do so a hell of a lot sooner. Because, yes, they are Way Crazier. Go ahead and thumbs down this as fast and often as you can, because here, that will assure me of the soundness of my statement. Go Ahead.

funny, you do exactly the same thing you accuse dissenter of. Who you trying to kid? 20000 killed in syria so far, with Iran's bloody hands at the trigger. Screw You Jack. You think you have some moral high ground because you spit on Israeli actions and look the other way when muslim arabs slaughter each other, a typical sentiment on this site. No offal pipes in Syria, just bullets and bombs. Your acutely and uniquely offended sensibilities at Israel's actions have blinded you (willfully?) to the reality of the surrounding region. Evil IDF. Bad Jew. Bad Israeli. Like there are no other causes of the problems in the Middle East. The Palestinians and other Arabs have NO hand in their continued harsh existence. Spread the bull elsewhere. And no, Israel won't use nukes, and yes the Iranians , given the opportunity, would do so a hell of a lot sooner. Because, yes, they are Way Crazier. Go ahead and thumbs down this as fast and often as you can, because here, that will assure me of the soundness of my statement. Go Ahead.

Yes, and their Israeli flags proudly displayed in their churches makes me want to upchuck. Makes me wonder if these ~40 million Christian Zionists are going to be employed as some sort of auxiliary force/ stooges of the ADL, AIPAC, etc., to report anyone like us who criticizes Israel or the U.S. government's subservience to it when it is officially classified as "hate speech" and, lest we forget the old standby, "anti-semitism". Avoid these morons like the plague if at all possible.

I've started to challenge this nonsense in church, you'd be surprised how many have been silent on this issue. After DeYoung was at our church quite a few blew it off as Biblical scatology(the other BS). With comments such as "he spends too much time in Israel" there may not be the massive support that they think there is.

so anyone who takes a pro-Israel position, no matter the argument, is a hasbara stooge.
And you make sure to mention you are a J*w, why cant you bring yourself to type the word properly?
The new "hasbara" angle, used by racists all over the web now, and co-opted here as reflexive slur, against anyone who speaks for Israel. Brilliant, thoughtful.
So your position is clear, Israel has no right to exist, and Israelis should all abandon ship, pack up and leave to become more J*wish , just like you.
You out-stooge a lot of non-J*wish haters, you offer nothing new, original or insightful. You are a able to throw feces as well as any poster at Israel, and get to point out how J*wish you are too, big hero.
There are zionists, in Israel, fighting against the occupation, against Bibi, against the unfair and unbalanced economy, against the status quo. They are hasbarists too of course in your mind. They'll get along fine without your type.

yes. Israelis would love to live in peace. Yes, they have nukes, and no, they havent used them. No Israeli ever asked you or anyone to admire them for not using the nukes.
You are a hater, and so far, on this site, that is the extent of the anti-zionist position. There is no place for Israel, within ANY borders that would "satisfy".
It is YOU who seeks admiration for the stylish position of hate that is in these circles.

If Israel were 100% contained within its 1948 borders, with no settlements, it would not be enough for the folks here. Any time Israel would defend itself, that would be a crime. The Iranians would still be calling for the country to be wiped off the map, the language would be the same. There would be no peace with the neighbors and just as many crocodile tears would be shed for the Palestinians, by the haters. Non-Palestinian Arab/Muslims have had just as big a hand, or bigger, in preventing the realization of an independent state than Israel.
No I don't support Bibi, I don't like Israel dragging the US along for an Iranian strike, and I don't think it matters one way or the other if Iran develops nukes. I think the Palestinians should have a state, alongside Israel, in the 1948 borders.
Of course this is thumbs down material on this site, I accept that. But it is good to clarify the point because the majority here pretend to hate Israel simply because of the current situation, when they would hate it regardless. Peace.

harr,
I do hate present day Israel and I am proud of that label – "hater of Israel", because I hate racism, occupation, torture and squashing the dreams of independence and freedom of all people. I hate the idea of cowards dropping cluster bombs and burning white phosphorus on unarmed civilians. I hate the notion that God created a "chosen race" of people entitled to seize land that is not theirs. So, call me a "hater" if that makes it easier for you to embrace the evil that Israel does. You can even call me a "hater of America" when it comes to things like Guantamano, NDAA, the Patriot Act, etc. If you don't hate evil, I guess accept evil.

The land was given to the Jews in 1948 by the UN. The Arabs didn't like it and they attacked. They lost. Several times.
The land Israel has since grabbed beyond the 48 borders ought to be relinquished except for a sort of dmz buffer.
Israel has committed crimes. It is terrible, and they should be condemned for that.
This is NOT what you are saying though.
You don't believe "present day" Israel (post 48) should exist, and throw your full hate behind the statement. No Israel is the only situation that would satisfy you. And that is the state of affairs in the Middle East.
No Israeli or Israeli government will go for your plan. Nor should they.
Your pro-Iran stance is really just an Anti-Israel stance.

Zionism is as valid a reason to establish a nation state as any. Humans have set up nation states for thousands of years and other humans have been screwed in the process. Muslims and Christians have tried to force conversions on millions, throughout history at the point of a sword. A long history of slaughtering and torture on non believers or just the hated minority. Zionists do NOT need lessons from anyone here on humanity.
What nation states were built without bloodshed and people getting screwed.
The Palestinians, many of them were screwed. Yes. And they deserve a homeland.
The Israel hatred here is not simply a legitimate criticism of a nation-state's behavior, it is the hatred of the very existence of that nation state.
Criticism of Israeli policy, Netanyahu, Aipac and the "neo con" agenda is not what I find repugnant here.

Zionism is as valid a reason to establish a nation state as any. Humans have set up nation states for thousands of years and other humans have been screwed in the process. Muslims and Christians have tried to force conversions on millions, throughout history at the point of a sword. A long history of slaughtering and torture on non believers or just the hated minority. Zionists do NOT need lessons from anyone here on humanity.
What nation states were built without bloodshed and people getting screwed.
The Palestinians, many of them were screwed. Yes. And they deserve a homeland.
The Israel hatred here is not simply a legitimate criticism of a nation-state's behavior, it is the hatred of the very existence of that nation state.
Criticism of Israeli policy, Netanyahu, Aipac and the "neo con" agenda is not what I find repugnant here.

It must be frustrating for those who want to attack another country preemptively to have to engage in mere rhetoric, when they know that a shaped charge will goad the American herd into war, even against their own best interests. Right now, the only question is the form that charge will take. It's going to have to be a big one, too, not some tiny provocation. How do you top Pearl Harbor/Nine Eleven?

Just knowing this, you have to realize that it will have to be a false flag, since your future enemies, the Iranians, do not operate on your timetable and have no interest in the American elections per se. Who will be the sacrificial victims this time – will it be Americans or Israelis or Europeans? What act, unanswerable except by war, will wash the world's altar in blood of such volume that it cannot be ignored?

Or will it be something more mechanical – just attack Iran, which will respond by attacking Israel (well, that would make Israel the sacrificial victim, at least on a small scale and temporarily(, and then the US will be forced to defend her. I'm guessing this is the easiest to pull off and it has the strength that it is so in-your-face that no false flag will be necessary. It will merely be argued (as with all prior rhetoric) that it was in self-defense. The kicker is that such self-defense is going to need the major ally to complete the act.

Nobody in Israel seems to care about unintended consequences. But someone jonesing for war or any other addictive substance doesn't think about the endgame, because that would stall the action and kill the high. The fact is that any contest, and war is one of them, can come out as a win or a loss. Nothing is assured. Even the ancients understood that the gods were fickle, and even the ancient Hebrews understood that the one true God punishes sinners.

"richard vajs", you don't have a clue what "chosen" means in the context of Judaism, even after it's been explained to you. Nowhere in Judaism is there talk of a "chosen race"! This is a malicious lie sustained by people like you and "Jos".

Funny how you're still talking about the "evil" of Israel when Syria is SLAUGHTERING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW. I don't hear you talk about how unbelievably EVIL the Syrian and Iranian regimes are for collaborating in that slaughter. It's obvious you don't care at all about civilians who get killed; what you care about is demonizing the same nation over and over again. And you're the one putting one people above another: you put Palestinian lives so far above the lives of Syrians, you wail about the former but fall utterly silent on the latter.

What's more evil to you, the mass-murdering Syrian police state, or the Israeli democracy that guarantees rights for everyone, including its one million plus Arab citizens? You needn't reply.

I used "holocaust" because JUSTIN RAIMONDO used it repeatedly in his previous column! Had you been paying attention to my posts, you would have perceived that. It was Raimondo who first accused Israel of wanting to inflict a "holocaust" on Iran.

And blaming Israel for the indiscriminate slaughter of Syrian civilians BY SYRIANS THEMSELVES is just ludicrous and makes you sound rabid and irrational. I suppose the Muslim Arabs who blew up the WTC were blameless too; their actions must have been the fault of Israel! Is there no limit to the blame you'll lay at Israel's feet? When a Syrian pilot releases bombs that murder dozens of his own countrymen, Israel isn't to blame. This should be needless to say, but apparently you need it spelled out for you.

Too bad all your efforts are in vain, Jeff. You'll never be spared by the lynch mob you fear, because you're just not one of them. One day you might even be forced to seek refuge … in Israel. Wouldn't that be something!

I've seen you write the most heinous things elsewhere on the internet, going by the same name, saying the same things but without censoring your most intense feelings. I couldn't believe the bile that came out of you. It was pure evil. I can't repeat it here, but you know what you said, and I know what you are and what you really want to be done. To an entire people. Enough said.

B. Netty is like a third rate thug from a Golan and Globus production. And the Dissenter, I don't know if it's the same person getting all lubed up in regards to overthrowing Gaddafi and now Assad and the elected parliament in Iran, but he/she has done a complete 180 in regards to Israel.

You should ignore him/her, all it wants to do is hijack the thread with endless hysterical pro Nazi pro AIPAC talking points. They must have been assigned to monitor JR's columns and combat the (sic)"entirely unjustified and unreasonable criticism" (sic) of the peace-loving jewish state. Not wanting to get involved in a vanity war against Iran or demanding Israeli nukes to be inspected (why is this out of the question? No one knows!) automatically means you want the destruction of Israel. Yeah, right. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-…
The fact that it says it notices other negative thingssome commenters say on the web in regards to Israel pretty much confirms it.

To paraphrase one particularly tiresome refrain: "It's 1933 and this guy is the next Goebbels."

They pay them well to defend the fascist Israeli regime and priming public opinion for a war that even the Israeli people there do not want and continue to protest over (of course unknown in the US media).

If Israel were 100% contained within its 1948 borders, with no settlements, it would not be enough for the folks here

You're right. They also need to stop taking US aid and let the IAEA inspect their nuke facility. Radioactive fallout from accidents or whatever doesn't discriminate. It will poison Chosen People as well as millions of others. Will that make B. Netty Tinpot happy, finally?

Since we already have Nuttyahoo who can play himself, just add Chuck Norris and the late Lee Marvin from "Delta Force" and there you have it. Oh, I guess there has to be some sort of romantic interest, too. Perhaps Natalie Portman or Sarah Silverman?

Do you need a tissue? I mean, unless you need attention and love to argue with people whom you KNOW are not going to agree with you, why bother? Certainly there are many pro-war, pro-Israel, anti-Muslim websites out there where you can hear the other double-chinned losers nodding in agreement with your among your hate. Pam Gellar the Shrew's "Atlas Shrugged" comes to mind.

I see, so you are the doorman here deciding who gets in this exclusive club? Double chinned losers? You got problems dude. You should hold that tissue of yours to catch your load later as you rub one out with your mental masturbators here who think just like you, and rehash the same lame bs. JR deserves a better class of devotees than putzes like you.

Of course you should ignore and insult those who challenge you or disagree with your dogma. Thats what the 'discuss this article' button below JRs article means , right? My Mossad directives came through from the rothschilds and i will forward our discussion to aipac. You are delusional.

Dissenter,
"Needn't reply" – It will be my pleasure to reply.
" Nowhere in Judaism is there talk of a "chosen race"" – Oh really? The Christian Zionists talk about that all of the time. Judaism may not talk that jive but they sure don't tell their useful idiot, Christian Zionist contingent to shut up about it. And the "settlers" throwing rocks at the Palestinian school kids and ripping down old Palestinian olive groves certainly think that they have special privileges.
I have no idea what is really going on in Syria. It seems like an uprising, but for what reasons and funded by whom, is not readily apparent to me or many others. Still you insist that all of the blame is on Iran and none is on Israel.
But it is clear to all that Israel does murder the Palestinians. Just the other day, a group of Israeli youth tried to "lynch" some Palestinian teenagers, while a group of adult Israelis stood by, not interfering. "Lynching" – a clear sign of a noxious racism in any country – maybe you missed it.

There are people who trol various sites where people may not be totally supportive of Israel. There is an organization called CAMERA ("Committee for Accuracy in Media" (CAMERA). who may have specially trained/selected people to counter various "negative" comments. Whether the comments are true or not makes no difference to them. They are there to "mold" opinions of those who are undecided about Isreal and turn them into 'right thinkers'. No matter what anyone says, they have a 'counter' to their argument.

When will the US voters grow up and stop being manipulated by a fanatically, well finaced, highly educated religious sect that has taken over our government?
The Romans used "bread and games" to keep the "grey unwashed masses" at peace and the Israel lobby is doing the same. AIPAC is guilty of subjecting our voters to the same synical manipulation.
Put Shaul Movaz in front of the US electorate on national TV and educate the "grey unwashed" masses to the reality of the mess and criminal intent in Natanyahu's Israeli politics.

The Syrian government is doing what any and all governments would do when attacked. What would happen if you and some other people tried an armed revolt in Israel? Would Bibi just step down, give up, hand over the country to you?

This is not a matter of one passe nation-state being goaded or 'black-mailed' into ignoring the interests of its people and being draw/fooled into going to war to help the people of another passe nation-state.

It's a clear cut case, in this post-nation-state world of DGE (disguised global Empire), of the Empire's political pawns in dead nation-state A screwing their citizens by beginning another element of the continuing global war in the area of a second dead nation-state (I) whose citizens are likewise being screwed by their own politicians (who are also pawns of the very same singular disguised global Empire)!!!

Best luck and love to the "Occupy Empire" educational and revolutionary movement.

[…] helots, a ruthless Sparta armed to the teeth (courtesy of my tax dollars) that is now engaged in a propaganda campaign designed to drag the United States into yet another unnecessary and horrifically destructive war in […]

[…] a ruthless Sparta armed to the teeth (courtesy of my tax dollars) that is now engaged in a propaganda campaigndesigned to drag the United States into yet another unnecessary and horrifically destructive war […]

Justin Raimondo is the editorial director of Antiwar.com, and a senior fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute. He is a contributing editor at The American Conservative, and writes a monthly column for Chronicles. He is the author of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement [Center for Libertarian Studies, 1993; Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2000], and An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard [Prometheus Books, 2000].